April 2025

World Premiere Review!
Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 Magnum Hybrid Stereo Integrated Amplifier Review
Back to the future.
Review By Ric Mancuso / Bargain Audiophile

   The Rogue Audio Sphinx was first introduced sometime around late 2013. I purchased the original Sphinx from Rogue Audio upon a recommendation from a friend. Imagine an integrated hybrid tube and solid-state stereo amplifier with 100 Watts output at 8 Ohms (200W @ 4 Ohms), with vacuum tubes in the front end! I later came to find that it was the perfect unit to power my classic Martin Logan SL3 electrostatic hybrid loudspeakers. Turns out that Mark O'Brien of Rogue Audio told me that Rogue Audio had displayed with Martin Logan at audio shows, and it was a superb match-up. I still own the original Sphinx which is still pushing Watts through the SL 3's in our upstairs entertainment system.

I reviewed the Rogue Audio Sphinx V2 and V3 subsequent versions over the years. It is funny how we mark the passage of time based on what pets we have, automobiles we have owned, and, of course, what audio gear we listened to at significant times of our lives. Three cats (27 Lives), four cars, and don't ask how many pieces of gear have appeared since 2014. However, One wife!

The V1 is a musical and open-sounding integrated amp. A bit noisy at idle, but more than competent compared to many contemporary designs. There was only one issue with a defective balance control on the V1. Guess, one visit to the Vet is acceptable over twelve years.

Generationally, the Sphinx models share a commonality of performance and musicality. I would compare the Sphinx lineage to Honda and Acura vehicles. The perennial winner of best cars in class including the Civic EXL models and the Acura Integra. Constant improvements along the way. No reason to start from scratch with a chrome and fins design! This is where the music meets the road. You look at the face plates of all the versions and you really could not tell the difference at first glance which version of Sphinx you are looking at.

Improvements To The Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 Magnum
The Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 Magnum has some notable improvements to its design. Below is a listing of tweaks to the unit. Sphinx v3 Magnum upgrades include:

New main circuit board
New rear circuit board
Power supply upgrades
Upgraded coupling caps
Upgrades to the phono stage
Upgraded caps and resistors in key spots
Upgraded binding posts
JJ Gold Pin 12AU7s
Metal remote

There is evidently some secret sauce in the V3 Magnum unit. Each generation seems to be perfecting the Bionic Man. It comes down to how the unit performs and sounds with various mixes of components and listening environments.

Adding and replacing parts to a proven unit is not always beneficial. For example, people who re-cap older or newer units can be in for surprise at how much the sound can be impacted in an undesired way by changing the original parts. Voicing components by a manufacturer ultimately relies on the ears of the designer based on the chosen parts of the upgrade. It's not like making words on a Scrabble board. The UHD Hypex modules have been a consistent ingredient within the Sphinx line of integrated amplifiers. Many manufacturers use the Hypex UHD modules, however, it's what is behind the curtain where the magic act happens.

I have followed Rogue Audio's path throughout the years and can tell where Mark O'Brien's ears have taken him with upgrades of the Pharaoh, Stereo 100s, and the Sphinx. Parts in the right place in the circuit do make a difference to the sound. My past reviews of those products will highlight the improvements. So, on to the new Sphinx V3 Magnum integrated amplifier.

Out Of The Box
Rogue Audio's packaging is always double-boxed with thick wall cardboard. Easy to take the unit out of the box with fitted foam and plastic wrapping bags. The owner's manual is simple to read, and instructions are to the point. Always keep your boxes!

I burned in the unit for several days before listening to the Sphinx V3 Magnum. I first auditioned the unit in my downstairs dedicated listening room (Lab). This is the place where the amp is tested with an array of gear. Also, all the features and functions are auditioned. IE, phono, headphones, remote control, and line inputs and outputs. The component was hooked up to three loudspeaker pairs in my rotation. The Magnepan LRS, Zu Audio Omen MK II, and the Falcon LS3/5A Silver editions.

With The Magnepan LRS Loudspeakers
The first sonic attribute that was noticed was the improvement in resolution. This ribbon speaker is highly resolving and truthful to the sound and you could immediately hear the difference. The V3 Magnum had a bit more snap and more sparkle. The LRS seemed to ask for a bit more power. The previous V3 appears to have had a bit more drive and grip pushing the 4-Ohm speaker. *Could be there be a bit of a tilt in the upper HiFi registers, which would give one the perception of less weight in the lower registers, or was it better resolution?

I hooked up my go-to subwoofers, the REL T-Zero MKIII's with the LRS. The bottom end filled in perfectly and gave a good balance to the listening experience. My sources were two digital devices serving up a mix of my favorite and test CDs and lossless Hi-Res Music streaming tunes. To note, the LRS by themselves portray a fairly lean sonic presentation. We will find out more about this with other speaker pairings in the review. The system was used with a Naim DAC and Cambridge Audio transport, Bluesound Vault streamer, Kimber Co-Ax digital interconnect, and Analysis Plus speaker cables.

LP, vinyl source was a recent Rega P3 turntable with an Ortofon Red MC with a Sim Audio phono preamp. The second turntable is a budget Audio Technica direct drive TT loaded with an AT 95 MM cartridge. I must admit I do most of my listening with digital format. However, the phono section seems more agile and communicative than the previous model. Believe it or not, the Audio Technica with the AT 95 cartridge sounded totally expressive in the MM mode! The MC section is quite good too. Not quite up to the Sim Audio phono preamp. But Hey, for the money, you get a full-featured everything-in-one-piece integrated amp with the Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 Magnum. Let's talk Bargain.

The Magnum version of Rogue Audio's Sphinx vacuum tube integrated amplifier is very quiet in idle mode. Darker noise floor means better dynamic range. Every little bit makes a difference. The LRS pairing is telling regarding the spectral balance of the unit. If it gets the piano and the vocals right, then I know we are on the right track. So, check the boxes for the Magnum Sphinx on those. Vocalists like Alison Krauss, Kurt Elling, and Aretha Franklin sounded correct. The instrumentation was natural sounding with a little more detail than the previous Sphinx. More definition with a wider and deeper soundstage in the recipe too.

With The Silver Badge Falcon LS3/5A Monitors
Near-field listening is my favorite listening position for most speakers. I've been a near-field listener since working in a recording studio environment. The Falcon LS3/5A monitors were purposely designed for that application. I wrote an article on the LS3/5A monitors a while back if you so interested in reading up about them. They seem like a ubiquitous choice for a well-engineered Brit speaker. Owned Rogers Swiss Tone LS3/5A's before the Falcons. Yep, the Falcons are better IMO. The Beat Goes On!

Ok, the Sphinx V3 Magnum had found its sweet spot with this speaker pairing. We are still downstairs in the listening Lab with the Falcons in a near field spread, 8' apart and seated two-thirds of the wide distance back. I was getting rich textures along with authentic midrange tonality. The existing bass was taught with natural detail and punch. You could hear the resin on the bow of stringed instruments. Cellos are beautifully rendered. No subwoofer is needed. Vocals were pinned directly in the middle. I mean right there! A long listening session was called for. And it happened. This was a Sphinx Magnum magical moment(s).

Now some clarity about the LRS with the Sphinx Magnum. After listening to the full impact of the Magnum with the Falcons, it became clearer to me that the Magnepan LRS needed more oomph to realize a larger presentation. I switched over to my reference amp, The Rogue Audio Pharaoh. Boom, full-scale, and solid tuneful bass. The Pharaoh has a monster power supply that can handle low sensitivity and 4-Ohm load speakers with more brute force, along with finesse. Of course, it is twice the price of the Sphinx Magnum.

The Falcons at 15 Ohms presented a friendlier load to the Sphinx Magnum. Voltage vs. Current. You could hear some of the tube-adjacent sound of the Sphinx Magnum coming through. Ok, it was getting late, so I opted to go for headphone listening so as not to disturb those who were sleeping upstairs. I wear headphones when doing radio shows and for listening to critical mixes of pre and mastered recordings. I was surprised by how nice sounding the headphone experience was on the Magnum. The MOSFET amp section makes for an easy and relaxing listening session. Oh yes, there was detail and the good things your ears beckon for.

With The Zu Audio Omen MKII Speakers
Smooth and graceful were the best to describe the sound flowing through the Omen MK II loudspeakers. Vocals had body and soul. Lip smacking and saxophone reed drip. Coltrane and Johnny Hartman as one. Getting the entire Sax to be rendered full-size is a trick. I forgot how good the Omen's were. I swore that I had a single-ended tube amp in the system with the Omens. This combination clicked. I played some well-recorded orchestral pieces from Reference Recordings and my ears witnessed dynamic slam and full range attack yet nuanced in the soft parts of the music. I prefer the Zu Audio speakers where the tweeter is loaded separately from the Co-Ax drivers. I hear a more balanced sound without horn-type ringing and/or air turbulence with the Tri-Ax versions. My ears are super sensitive to phase anomalies.

Listening sessions were around 80dB SPL and below. Full and rich tones. Horns sounded authentic and well-rounded. This integrated amp seemed to prefer moving coil speakers as a rule.

Let's Go Upstairs
I installed the Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 Magnum upstairs in our family entertainment system. Replaced the Sphinx V1 with the Magnum version. Speakers were the Martin Logan SL 3 and Vandersteen 2C. OPPO 105 CD. LP system, modified EAR 834 P phono preamp with a Denon DP-60 TT loaded with a Denon 301 MC cartridge. A totally enjoyable system. It also serves as a two-channel system for movie sound.

Again, noticed this amp preferred the moving coil speaker. The Vandersteen speakers sounded well-balanced and controlled. I understand the gestalt with Time Coherent speakers. Having worked with John Bau at Spica had trained my ear to hear the benefits of the Phase Time Coherent sound. Searching again for the Spica TC-60 speakers. I gave away the two pairs I had to my contractor who wouldn't leave me alone until we worked out a deal. Got some flooring put in as a trade. Yep, The Bargain Audiophile barters too.

I could hear the Sphinx legacy sound when comparing the V1 vs. the V3 Magnum. We heard more detail and air with the Magnum. Tonality and musicality are about the same, that is a good thing! I'm in the process of writing a review on some classic vintage components. The Vandersteen 2C's will be included in the round-up. I must say, vintage components hold their own in today's market.

Epilog
The Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 Magnum hybrid integrated stereo amplifier is bordering on becoming one of the true classics in audio. Fifteen years in and seemingly not fading away from the very best-rated value components of our time? Longevity and being able to hit the value target market for an audio manufacturer in this industry is becoming more of a rarity due to the endless entrees of higher priced components. Amp or speaker of the month with the higher price tag syndrome.

"All for one, and one for all!" best sums it up with Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 Magnum.

About The Bargain Audiophile
My audio sensibilities tilt to the good to great value for the money audio components, even vintage gear. I love really good cheap eats and also appreciate the exceptional palate bomb $$$$ meal! Oh, and let's follow it up with worthy wine pairings from $-$$$$. People always ask me, "Are you a good cook?" I say," I just cook with good ingredients." This is similar the way I review good audio systems. Within hi-fi audio, there are amazing great values, even in today's market compared to far more expensive modern units. It's like a Julia Child's recipe for a French omelet. Can't be beat and simply done.

Today's landscape of media entertainment listening options ranges from the smartphone on the go, tablets, laptops, or personal gadgets that are Free Range and of course, the dedicated home audio rig. All can be a source of enjoying the music depending on one's lifestyle and expectations at the moment. Technology has showered us with great opportunities and choices with exceptional values. The Bargain Audiophile's mission is to establish a bridge and a path to enjoy the music.

Specifications
Type: Vacuum tube and solid-state hybrid stereo integrated amplifier
Output Power: 100 Watts per channel, two channels
THD: <0.1% typical
Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz
Phono Section Gain: 44 and 60 dB
Input Sensitivity: 1.0V RMS
Dimensions: 15.5" x 17" x 5" (WxDH)
Weight: 25 lbs.
Price: $1995

Company Information
Rogue Audio, Inc.
P.O. Box 1076
Brodheadsville, PA 18322

Voice: 570-992-9901
E-mail: info@rogueaudio.com
Website: RogueAudio.com